Portable fruit picking device



Filed Jan. 22, 1948 J. C. LEHMAN ET AL PORTABLE FRUIT PICKING DEVICE Dec. Z6, 1950 F s. l.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 PORTABLE FRUIT PICKING DEVICE James Clair Lehman, Paradise, and Maurice E.

Lehman. Bareville, Pa., assigner to Paul B. Mellinger, Willow Street, Pa.

Application January 22, 1948, Serial No. 3,676

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to fruit picking devices, and more particularly to a portable device for picking fruit from trees.

An important object of the invention is to provide a portable device for picking tree fruit such as apples, oranges or pears, which will eliminate most of the manual labor involved in hand-picking, and reduce to a minimum the number of workers required.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide a portable power-operated fruit picking device which is compact and light, so that it can be readily carried and manipulated over various parts of fruit trees.

A further object is to provide a portable fruitpicking device which is designed to pick tree fruit rapidly without injuring fruit or tree foliage.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned character which is extremely simple, practical, and quite inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken on line I-I of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken one line 2-2 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral l0 designates the hopper or casing of the portable fruit-picking device. This hopper Ill is elongated and rectangular in plan, and open at its top II. The ends I2 of the casing I0 are curved and slope downwardly to form inclined converging flat bottom portions i3. The casing I5 further includes vertical iiat sides I5 and I6 which are integral with the ends i2 and bottom portions I3. Adjacent to each end I2, the side I5 has rigidly secured to it a vertically disposed U-shaped handle I'I, to facilitate carrying the fruit-picking device. A central depending annular sleeve I8 is formed integral with the sides I5 and I 6, and inclined bottom portion I3, and this sleeve forms a central discharge opening I8' at the bottom of the hopper Ill. The hopper may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable light durable material of, suflcient rigidity.

A light, exible discharge tube or chute I8 is provided, and this flexible tube is generally cylindrical and may be made in the desired length to convey the picked fruit to the desired point on the ground. The tube I9 is preferably formed of canvas or other suitable light, flexible material of suflicient strength. At its upper end, the tube I9 carries a rigid annular collar or ring 20, adapted to be pressed over the sleeve I8 for detachably connecting the tube I9 to the sleeve. The chute or tube I9 is provided upon its inside with a plurality of longitudinally spaced groups of annularly spaced resilient flaps or ns 2|. These flaps 2l are inclined downwardly, and project inwardly radially from the wall of tube I9, as shown, and serve to retard the travel of the fruit through the tube and to prevent injury to the fruit. The flaps 2| are vpreferably made of soft rubber, or the like.

Rotatably mounted within the casing I0 are a pair of rotary fruit-picking elements or beaters 22 and 23. Each of the rotary picking elements comprises a cylindrical tubular hub 24, which extends from the inner face of side I5 to the inner face of side I6. Each hub 24 is preferably formed o f hard rubber and is substantially rigid. Formed integral with each hub 24 are a plurality of axially-spaced groups of radial picking arms 25. The arms 25 of each group are preferably spaced equidistantly circumferentially about the hub 24, and are formed with a slight reverse curvature, as shown in Figure 3, so that the outer leading end 25 of each arm 25 projects forwardly in the direction of rotation of the picking element. The inner portions 26 of the arms 25, adjacent to hubs 24, are formed of hard rubber, but have a slight degree of resiliency. The outer portions 21 of the arms are formed of rubber which is relatively softer than the rubber used for the inner portions 26', and the outer portions of the arms have a higher degree of resiliency. Further, the outer portion of each arm 25 tapers slightly towards its outermost end so that the arm has increased resiliency or flexibility toward its outer end. The arms 25 possess the required degree of stiffness to perform their proper function without causing damage to the fruit or tree foliage. Each rubber arm 25 varies in composition throughout its length so that such arm gradually increases in resiliency toward its outer end.

The picking elements 22 and 23 are mounted upon transverse horizontal rotatable shafts 26 and 2'I, and rotate with these shafts. The shafts 26 and 2l are journallecl in openings formed in the sides I5 and I6, as shown. The arrangement and spacing of the shafts 26 and 21 is such that the inner opposed ends of the arms 25 are spaced apart slightly, and the arms 25 of the elements 22 and 23 are arranged in staggered relation, as shown in Figure 1. The outer ends of arms 25 travel close to the ends l2 of casing IG, and the ends 25 extend slightly beyond the open top Il as they rotate.

The'shafts 25 and 2l extend through side l5 and have mounted upon them grooved pulleys 28 and 29, disposed exteriorly of casing I0. An outer rectangular guard or housing 39 is pro.- vided, and rigidly secured to the. side I5. This housing 3d serves to inclose the pulleys28 and 29, and is provided with openings- 3| within which the outer ends of shafts 26'and 2'l`are journalled. Disposed at the longitudinal center of the housingY 3i? and casing lil, and inclosed within the housing 30 is a pulley 32, provided with a pair of annular grooves The pulley 32 is mounted upon a short shaft 34 for rotation therewith, and the shaft is journalled in` openings in the side l5 and housing 3B.

Belts 35 and 36 serve to-operatively connect the pulleys 28A and 29 with the-pulley- 32. The belt is crossed, as shown in Figure 2, so that the picker elements 22 and 23- will rotate in opposite directions. As viewed in Figure 3, the picker element 2.2 rotates clockwise, while the picker element 23is rotating counterclockwise.

One end of the short shaft Silprojects outwardly from the housing 3S, and is operatively connected with a flexible drive cableY 3l which leads to any suitable source of power.

In operation, the user of the devicegrasps the handles il and may'manipulate the hopper l0 into proper relation with the foliage of the tree containing the fruit. rIhis may be done while the operator is standing on a suitable platform, vehicle or ladder. The rotary pickingelements 22 and 23 are brought into engagement with' theA fruit to be picked, and such fruit isdrawn into the hopper lil by the arms 25 of the picking elements. As the fruit is forced downwardly in the hopper it becomes severed or pulled from` the twigs which support it. The picked fruit may, drop directly through the discharge opening i8', or roll down either of the inclined bottom portions It-into the discharge opening. From the. discharge opening i3 the picked fruit gravitates into the tube or chute i9, which is exible, and

rangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

l. A portable fruit picking device, comprising a receptacle, rotary picking elements mounted upon the receptacle and including generally radial arms, each-arm tapering'outwardly so that it has increased ilexibility toward its outer end, and means for driving the rotary picking elements, the arm of one rotary picking element being in staggered relationship with the arms on the other rotary picking element, whereby they can freely rotate without contacting one another.

2. A portable fruit picking device, comprising a receptacle, rotary picking elements mounted upon the receptacle and including generally radial arms, each arm including an inner relatively stiff portion and an outer relatively resilient portion, and means for driving the rotary picking elements, the-arms of one rotary picking element being in staggered relationship with the arms on the other rotary picking element, whereby they can freely rotate without contacting one another.

3. A portable fruit picking device, comprising a receptacleV to receive the'fruit anda discharge opening, rotary picking elements mounted upon the receptacle and including generally radial arms, each arm tapering outwardly so that it has increasing iiexibility toward its cuter end, and means for driving the rotary'picking elements, the arms of onerotary picking element being in staggered relationshipwith the arms on the other rotary picking element, whereby they can freely rotate without contacting one another. i 4. A portablefruit picking device, comprising a receptacle;k rotary pickingA elements mounted upon the receptacle and includinggenerally radial arms', each arm tapering outwardly so that it has increasing flexibility toward' its'outer'end, and meansfor driving one'of the rotary picking elements in a clockwise direction and the other in a counterclockwise direction, the arms of one rotary picking element beingv in staggered relationship with the arms on the other rotary picking element, whereby they can freely rotate without contacting one another.

JAMES CLAIR LEHMAN. MAURICE E. LEHMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 787,314' Summerfield Apr. 11, 1905 1,351,398* Newman Aug. 31, 1920 

